Louisiana Tops the Nation in Chlamydia Cases This Year
Bad news for Louisiana on the STD front. The Bayou State is number one in the nation for Chlamydia cases and #2 for Gonorrhea cases.
Data from the CDC shows the numbers don't look good for Louisiana.
Dr. John Vanchiere, an infectious disease specialist with Ochsner LSU Health tells KEEL News one of the big problems is the lack of testing. He says many of these sexually transmitted diseases have virtually no symptoms so people don't know they are infected.
Other health experts also say the stigma around STDs might also keep people from getting medical attention. But Dr. Vanchiere says it's critical to increase our testing to find out if people are infected and get them treated.
The latest data from 2023 shows there have been more than 2.4 million cases of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia across the nation.
Specific Numbers for STD's
The CDC data shows there are more than 209,000 cases of syphilis, over 600,000 cases of gonorrhea, and over 1.6 million cases of chlamydia. The combined count includes 3,882 cases of congenital syphilis, including 279 congenital syphilis stillbirths and neonatal/infant deaths.
Are the STD Numbers Going Up?
Across the nation, the number of STIs decreased 1.8% from 2022 to 2023. This data shows a decline in gonorrhea cases of 7.2% and no real change in the number of chlamydia cases.
Dr. Vanchiere says the highest numbers are among young people between the ages of 20 and 35, but he also says teenage numbers are also high in Louisiana. He also says more cases show up in women. But he says the reason for that is because women are more likely to get regular medical checkups. He says young men are the most reluctant to go to the doctor.
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